An all-Canadian wine festival is coming to Fort York
Elbows Up aims to make it easier (and cheaper) to buy Canadian-made bottles
A global tariff tantrum just might do what decades of domestic dithering haven’t: make it easier to drink Canadian wine. While a certain orange-hued authoritarian blusters on the world stage, his trade-war theatrics could—ironically—clear the way for Torontonians to finally enjoy Okanagan orange wines with ease. In Ontario, it’s often cheaper to import wine from Europe than it is to buy a case from BC. Meanwhile, over in BC, provincial restrictions mean Ontario-made bottles aren’t legally available through standard retail channels. Bonkers, right? Welcome to the twisted world of interprovincial alcohol regulation.
Enter Elbows Up, a patriotic wine festival with a rebellious streak, designed to highlight these ridiculous barriers and push for change. On July 12 at Fort York, the event will gather 28 wineries from across the country for a rare border-busting celebration. Picture this: a coast-to-coast flight of wine featuring Nova Scotian crémant, wild-fermented Quebec gamay and pét-nats that rarely make it over the Rockies.
Yes, Elbows Up is technically a party thrown by some of the province’s savviest wine lobbyists (Therianthropy, a micro-négociant working with Ontario fruit, and the Living Vine, a leading distributor of organic, biodynamic and natural wines), but it’s a party with a purpose—and a petition. When it’s easier to snag a Croatian malvasia from the LCBO than a bottle made from Quebec’s hardy hybrid grapes, something’s wrong.
The event is co-organized by Mark Cuff, founder of the Living Vine and a partner in Therianthropy. For him, this isn’t just about wine—it’s about fairness. “Despite growing international acclaim, when Canadian wines cross provincial lines, they’re treated as imports,” he says. “If an Ontario winery sells a bottle for $14 to the SAQ in Quebec, it ends up costing around $38. That’s unfair to both consumers and producers.”
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And it’s not just a pricing issue; it’s a growth problem. “There are fewer than 200 wineries in Ontario. There could be so many more if we opened access to the rest of the country,” says Cuff. “All Canadian wine should be treated like local wine—regardless of where in the country it’s made or sold.”
He’s cautiously optimistic that change is coming. “Mark Carney talks about building one Canadian economy instead of 13,” he says. “That should include wine—but we’re not there yet.” Until then, Canadians will have to keep raising glasses at events like Elbows Up and jumping through hoops if they want to drink all the wine this country has to offer.
Featured wineries at the festival will include BC’s Scout and Ursa Major; Nova Scotia’s Benjamin Bridge and Lightfoot and Wolfville; Ontario’s Rosewood, Stratus, Southbrook and Paradise Grapevine; plus Quebec cult favourites Pinard et Filles. Guests can choose between two two-and-a-half-hour tasting sessions (starting at noon or 2:30 p.m.), but no matter the session, the samples are unlimited. And both Good Cheese and Ricky and Olivia will be slinging wine-friendly food designed to pair with whatever’s being poured, be it from Manitoba or downtown Toronto.
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
